Wolfe breaks MWC receiving record

Steve Guiremand

11/11/2006

SAN DIEGO – With six catches for 79 yards, Ryan Wolfe broke the Mountain West Conference freshman single-season receiving record in Saturday night's game against San Diego State at Qualcomm Stadium.
But the 6-foot-1, 200-pounder from Hart High School in Santa Clarita, Calif., was hardly in a celebrating mood afterward.

Not after the Rebels (1-9, 0-6) once again found ways to self-destruct en route to their 15th straight road loss with a 21-7 setback to the Aztecs (2-7, 2-3).

"Bittersweet, that seems like the word of the year," Wolfe, whose 783 receiving yards this season broke the old mark of 771 yards set by BYU's Austin Collie in 2004, said. "That's a good accomplishment. I just wish it would have come at a brighter spot for our offense and our team."

The Rebels definitely had their chances in this one. But normally-reliable placekicker Sergio Aguayo, playing in front of a large group of friends and family from nearby San Jacinto, missed four field goals (41, 37, 52 and 53 yards) and had a fifth from 28-yards blocked.

Aguayo, the preseason Mountain West Conference Special Teams Player of the Year playing despite a pair of torn knee ligaments in his kicking knee, had only missed four goals for a season in both his freshman and sophomore years. So going 0-for-5 in one game was very unexpected.

"No excuses," Aguayo said. "I just didn't play or kick as well as I should have."

"I see Sergio every day," UNLV coach Mike Sanford said. "I see him make them from over 50 yards all the time. … Sergio's a great kicker, and I believe he is going to make them."

The Rebels also had a touchdown pass to running back Lafayette Fletcher wiped out even though replays seemed to indicate he had caught the ball inbounds and taken two steps before losing the ball as he landed out of the end zone.

"When the receiver caught the ball and landed on the ground, he lost control of the ball, making it an incomplete pass," referee Karl Richens said in a statement released through the Mountain West Conference.

Rebel quarterback Rocky Hinds completed 20 of 39 passes for 211 yards and one touchdown but threw two more interceptions, including one that was returned 49-yards for a touchdown by Aztec corner Ray Bass in the first quarter. It was the fifth interception returned for a touchdown against the Rebels this season, four of which were tossed by Hinds.

The Rebels once again played without star linebacker Beau Bell (sprained ankle) who was the game on the sidelines with his left foot in a walking boot. And starting freshman safety Starr Fuimaono left the contest in the first half and didn't return with a broken hand.